THE frontrunner in the race to become Nicola Sturgeon’s depute has forecast a second independence referendum could be held as early as April next year.

Economy Secretary Keith Brown made the prediction in an election leaflet posted on social media ahead of the beginning of the contest’s hustings this weekend.

“The next independence referendum could be held in 12 months or two years,” he said.

“As the First Minister has said, the time to make the decision will be later this year when the timing and shape of the Brexit deal and the extent of the damage it will do to Scotland becomes clearer. That is something no-one can predict at this stage.”

He added: “My job if elected as depute leader will be to make sure we are ready to win the referendum whenever it comes, that we use the time between now and then to engage our membership, hone the case for independence and heighten our organisational and campaigning capacity to get us fighting fit to win.”

The timing of a new vote has been the big issue dominating the contest and Brown’s latest intervention will further intensify the debate.

Brown’s prediction has special weight as he is a senior member of the Scottish Government and as such is close to the First Minister. April next year is the earliest and most precise date for a second vote suggested by any of the three depute leadership candidates and is likely to be a popular suggestion among many of the party’s grassroots who want to see a new vote take place soon.

Chris McEleny, the SNP group leader on Inverclyde Council, wants to see a new vote within 18 months, while Julie Hepburn, a senior activist and former party worker, has not made any specific predictions on the timing of a new vote, saying it will be up the First Minister to determine when to call.

Pete Wishart, the long-serving Perthshire MP, ruled himself out from standing in the contest after raising concerns about holding a second referendum prematurely, before a revised case has been put to the Scottish people.

His views proved not to be popular among independence supporters and the SNP’s grassroots and he decided not to enter the contest.

This is the second time Brown has been a contender for the depute post. He stood in 2015 but was narrowly defeated by the MP Stewart Hosie.

He has received substantial backing from senior figures in the party, including MSPs Bruce Crawford, Clare Adamson, Linda Fabiani, Christine Grahame, Mike Russell and Ivan McKee. The MPs Stewart McDonald, Patricia Gibson, Deidre Brock, Neil Gray and Douglas Chapman also endorse him, as does the party’s national organiser Fiona McLeod, a former MSP.

Last night McEleny, who stood unsuccessfully in 2016, addressed a pro-independence event in Fife organised by the Common Weal think tank where he argued that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn did not present a threat to Scottish independence but should be regarded as an opportunity.

“Many people class Corbyn as a radical but just what are the Labour Party’s radical policies under his leadership? Free university tuition? We’ve being doing that in Scotland for a decade. Nationalisation of England’s nine water companies? Scottish water is already publicly owned.

“More free childcare, expanding free provisions for two, three and four year olds; the creation of publicly owned energy companies, bringing railways back into public ownership when franchises expire, ending the public sector pay gap and so on, all of which we are already doing in Scotland under the Scottish Government.”

He added: “However, hidden at the back of Corbyn’s ‘radical’ manifesto was the following sentence: ‘Labour supports the renewal of the Trident Nuclear Deterrent”. If I could ask Corbyn one question it would be ‘What’s radical about spending £200 billion on a new generation of weapons of mass destruction to be imposed on Scotland?’”

He added: “The membership of the SNP should have a leading role in helping inform the key decisions we make as a party.

“This election comes at an opportune moment to help inform our leader, Nicola Sturgeon, of the wider party’s opinion when she makes a decision in the autumn on what course of action best protects the interests of Scotland.

“Some think we aren’t ready to win a referendum, and urge caution. I believe we are ready to go.

“If SNP members vote for me, they have the opportunity to make their voices heard that they, like me, believe we should have a referendum on independence within the next 18 months.”

The depute leadership contest was triggered in March after Angus Roberston stood down after losing his Moray seat at last year’s General Election.

Robertson beat McEleny, Tommy Sheppard and MEP Alyn Smith to win the race in 2016 following Hosie’s resignation after newspaper reports about his personal life.

The winner of the contest will be announced on June 8, on the first day of the SNP’s conference in Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.